The diabetic foot syndrome is a pathology frequently associated with ulceration and bacterial infections. Such bacterial infections are identified herein below as diabetic foot infections. Treatment of diabetic foot infections is frequently hampered by ischemia, which is typically associated with diabetic foot syndrome. Consequently, systemic administration of antibiotics will permit to accomplish only low plasma levels of the antibiotic drug at the site of infection. This problem is particularly severe if the infection is caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
The situation is aggravated further by the fact that diabetic patients frequently suffer from peripheral neuropathy. Such patients may suffer from diabetic foot infections with little or no pain. The infection may remain undetected or may be disregarded by the patient. As a result, infections that usually start in ulcerated soft tissues can spread to underlying bone tissue. Osteomyelitis may develop which is particularly difficult to treat with antibiotic therapy.
Due to the above difficulties, diabetic foot infections are the most common cause for amputation of the lower extremities. Amputation is frequently associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality.
There is therefore an urgent need for improved treatments of diabetic foot infections, especially in cases of infections with MRSA and/or in cases where the patient suffers from a significant degree of ischemia and/or in cases where bone tissue is affected.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a compound that permits improved treatment of diabetic foot infections, especially in cases of infections with MRSA and/or in cases where the patient suffers from a significant degree of ischemia and/or in cases where bone tissue is affected.
It is another object of the invention to provide a compound for treating diabetic foot infections, especially diabetic foot osteomyelitis, which permits to increase local concentration of the antibiotic drug at the site of infection.
It is another object of the invention to provide a compound for treating diabetic foot osteomyelitis, which exhibits improved bone penetration.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of treating diabetic foot infections, especially in cases of infections with MRSA and/or in cases where the patient suffers from a significant degree of ischemia and/or in cases where bone tissue is affected.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a method of treating diabetic foot infections, especially diabetic foot osteomyelitis, which permits to increase local concentration of the antibiotic drug at the site of infection.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a method of treating diabetic foot osteomyelitis, which relies on the use of a compound that exhibits improved bone penetration.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a method of treating other bacterial infections of the foot associated with peripheral ischemia.
A further objective is to provide pharmaceutical compositions suitable to the above methods.